A doctor of child and adolescent psychology at the University of Louisville led his once-floundering division to become a nationally respected program. But when he expressed his medical views about gender dysphoria, his peers had him effectively fired. Plus, an update from Vice President Mike Pence on the current fight for religious freedom, a nightmare scenario in Canada, and a look at the work to be done should Roe v. Wade be reversed. All of this from the Alliance Alert team.

ADF in the News

In 2003, Dr. Allan Josephson was hired by University of Louisville as chief of the then-struggling Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology. Since then, he turned the division around, building a program that now has a national reputation. In the fall of 2017, Dr. Josephson participated in a panel discussion at The Heritage Foundation discussing treatment approaches for youth experiencing gender dysphoria. His remarks angered a few of his colleagues, who then learned he had served as an expert witness addressing similar issues. In time, Dr. Josephson was demoted and effectively fired as a result. He sits down with National Review to explain the politicization of gender ideology, the effect it is having on children, and why he chose to sue the university.

Religious Freedom

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the U.S. Department of State's Ministerial for Advancing Religious Freedom last Thursday, highlighting the ongoing work of protecting religious liberty across the globe. While progress has been made, Pence pointed out that there is much more to work to be done, with 83 percent of the world living without religious liberty. In Pence’s address, he highlights particularly egregious nations and regimes, while voicing his opposition to growing anti-Semitism in U.S. Congress. You can read his full remarks at the link below.

Marriage and the Family

A transgender activist is making headlines by suing a women’s salon whose female attendants declined to do a bikini wax to remove his pubic hair. The activist claims a female identity, and Canada's non-discrimination law includes "gender identity" as a protected class. As Peter Hasson writes, if the so-called "Equality Act"—passed by the U.S. House of Representatives—makes it past the Senate and is signed into law, businesses in the United States will be obligated to expose their employees to the opposite sex when providing such intimate services.

Sanctity of Life

Would abortion rates in the United States drop significantly with the reversal of Roe v. Wade? It depends on the state, but nationwide, abortion rates would drop by about 12 percent according to a recent study. As David French writes at National Review, that’s only a step forward toward the pro-life movement’s long-term goal. While abortion rates are dropping overall, French argues for different ways that the pro-life movement can move more toward a culture where every life is valued—even in a post-Roe America.

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